Kano State Government is requesting for an apology from the management of East Carolina University, after Governor Abdullahi Ganduje was embarrassed with a controversial appointment.
Last week, Governor Ganduje was offered an appointment by the American university to the position of Senior Mentoring Scholar and Visiting Full Professor of e-governance and International Affairs in the university on November 30, 2020.
His spokesperson, Abba Anwar, confirmed the appointment via a letter sent to him by the school through a lecturer of the International Centre for IT and Development, Victor Mbarika, at the university’s College of Business on November 30.
However, the university’s Interim Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr Grant Hayes, in a letter to Ganduje, dated December 4, 2020, titled, ‘Re: Unavailability of Faculty Appointment,’ read, “I must inform you that that the letter you received from Dr Victor Mbarika on November 30, 2020 does not convey an authorised offer of appointment or establish any position of scholar or professor at East Carolina University.”
But a statement obtained by Grassroots.ng,on Sunday from the Secretary to the Kano State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, he called for a disciplinary action against the faculty member, who stirred the controversy, in an attempt to embarrass the Governor and the good people of the state.
The statement added that while the Governor or any official of the government had no reason to doubt the veracity of the letter sent by one of its faculty members, which was communicated, using the university’s instrument of office, it equally did not at any time solicit for such appointment.
”We are deeply saddened by the uproar, ignited by this controversial appointment, in an attempt, to embarrass the person of the Governor and the good people of Kano State,” the statement read.
Furthermore, Usman pointed out in the statement that Governor Ganduje obtained a National Certificate in Education 1972, a Bachelor’s Degree in Science Education from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 1975; two Masters Degrees in Applied Educational Psychology from Bayero University, Kano 1979; and Public Administration also from ABU 1985, as well as a Ph.D. which he obtained about three decades ago from the University of Ibadan in South-West, Nigeria.
The SSG stated that given his background, the Governor would not have accepted a fraudulent appointment into academic position in any university or institution of higher learning within and outside Nigeria.